Chapter 1 Introduction and Context 1.1 Vision The emphasis of the Plan will be to establish a “sense of place and community” within Stillorgan, enhancing its vitality and viability as a District Centre. The Plan strategy is to consolidate and intensify development to address the issue of population decline, whilst achieving major improvements in the quality of the public realm and quality of services and amenities. The Plan will guide the future development of Stillorgan in such a way that will provide a robust urban framework and essential infrastructure to facilitate the optimisation of the area’s development potential. The Plan will aim to provide for a mix of uses of good quality design, enhancing activity and sustainability in conjunction with the improvement of public transport, pedestrian freedom and the ease and safe movement of cyclists. From the date of adoption by the Council, the Plan will be valid for a period of 5 years or until such time that any provision of the Local Area Plan conflicts with the County Development Plan 2004-2010 as a result of a variation or new County Development Plan. 1.2 The Purpose of the Plan The Plan is prepared in accordance with the requirements of Sections 18,19 and 20 of the Planning and Development Act 2000-2006. The Local Area Plan will provide a statutory framework for the proper planning and sustainable development of the area. The proposed Stillorgan Local Area Plan complies with the objectives of the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Development Plan 2004-2010. Furthermore it takes due cognisance of the Stillorgan Land Use and Transportation Study (LUTS), Draft Final Report, Faber Maunsell, April 2007, and their report prepared in response to the Pre Draft Development Options Study (See Appendice C). The Plan identifies development principles and strategic objectives with regard to the future development of places, spaces and streets and their permeation by pedestrians, cyclists and transport. At the same time, the Plan aims to enhance the character of the area with particular emphasis on prominent sites and nodes, recognising the importance of good urban design in the process. The Plan includes a series of drawings in each chapter to visualize the principles and strategic objectives. These drawings are conceptual only and are indicative as to how these principles and strategic objectives can be realised. Figure 1.1 Stillorgan Location Map DUN LAOGHAIRE-RATHDOWN COUNTY COUNCIL STILLORGAN LOCAL AREA PLAN 1 Chapter 1 Introduction and Context 1.3 Demographic Profile The County Development Plan highlights that the population of the County was 189,999 in 1996 and grew by only 1,793 persons to 191,972 in the six years to 2002. The results from the 2006 Census of Population Report (CSO), illustrate that population growth has continued to slow down as Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County grew by just 2,246 persons to 194,038 (1.2%) in the four years to 2006 (Figure 1.3). This is the slowest rate of growth within the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) (Figure 1.2). In 2002, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County accounted for 4.9% (191,792) of the total population of the state and 12.5% of the total population of the GDA. The results from the 2006 Census illustrate that Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County now accounts for just 4.57% of the State (194,038) and 16.3% of the total population of the GDA. Population of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Administrative Area 1991 -2006 196,000 194,038 Percentage Increase in Population 2002 - 2006 194,000 191,792 189,999 25 192,000 22.2 190,000 e 20 Population 188,000 Figure 15 185,410 186,000 10 184,000 5 3.4 182,000 2.1 Percentage Increas 1.2 180,000 0 1991 1996 2002 2006 DCC FINGA L DLR SDCC Year Administrative authorities in the Dublin Region Figure 1.2 Figure 1.3 Source: Principal Demographic Results Census 2006 (CSO) Source: Principal Demographic Results Census 2006 (CSO) DUN LAOGHAIRE-RATHDOWN COUNTY COUNCIL STILLORGAN LOCAL AREA PLAN 2 Chapter 1 Introduction and Context Figure 1.4 illustrates the population of the each of the Electoral Districts within Stillorgan and clearly identifies the population decline in all but one of the Electoral Districts (Stillorgan – Merville). These electoral districts can be identified on Figure 1.5. Population of Stillorgan Electoral Districts 2002 - 2006 16253 18000 15894 16000 14000 12000 Number of 10000 Persons 8000 2915 4003 6000 2822 3823 2173 2847 2446 1869 4000 1981 2849 2384 2035 2002 2000 2006 0 d le n y l tal cu town rvi rrio o a e T ilm ds ar ount M an - Deerpark organ - Prior g Leop ll llorgan - Me -M i lor lorgan -Kn - i n St il til t ga St rga S S r illo tillo St S Electoral Districts Figure 1.4 Figure 1.5 Stillorgan Electoral Districts The results from the 2006 Census of Population illustrate that Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County is continuing to experience net outward migration with 2,485 in the four years from 2002 to 2006. The County is also experiencing a relatively low natural increase in population. The factors responsible for these trends are the relatively low level of new housing and an ageing population. It is important to note that while the population of the County grew by only 2,246 in the four years to 2006 the number of houses constructed in the same period was much lower. This has resulted in an ageing population with a decreasing household size1 and residents from within the County purchasing homes outside of the County. These facts are coupled with the fact that demand for new housing in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County has consistently outstripped supply. 1 Decline in household size from 3.6 persons per household in 1986 to 2.9 persons per household in 2002 (preliminary results from the 2006 CSO does not provide information in this regard). DUN LAOGHAIRE-RATHDOWN COUNTY COUNCIL STILLORGAN LOCAL AREA PLAN 3 Chapter 1 Introduction and Context Stillorgan serves a catchment area that has experienced a decline in population during the last 24 years. As illustrated in Figure 1.6, the results from the 2006 Census of Population shows a decline of gross population in the area from 17,540 in 1986 to 15,894 in 2006, a net population loss of 1,646 persons (9.4%). As a consequence, Stillorgan now has a population density of just 33.2 persons per hectare. Population of Stillorgan (1986 - 2006) 18000 17540 17500 17000 16633 16500 16253 16095 16000 15894 Population Figure 15500 15000 1986 1991 1996 2002 2006 Year Figure 1.6 In 2002, 47% of households in Stillorgan consisted of one or two persons. Although, the results from the 2006 Census does not provide information relating to the breakdown of households, it is likely that this percentage figure will increase given the continued decline in household size. However, 90% of the household stock consists of houses that have five or more habitable rooms. The provision of substantial residential development within the District Centre will offer opportunities for down sizing. Stillorgan both fails to deliver a critical mass of population necessary to sustain its urban function and fails to address the population decline of the catchment area. DUN LAOGHAIRE-RATHDOWN COUNTY COUNCIL STILLORGAN LOCAL AREA PLAN 4 Chapter 1 Introduction and Context 1.4 County Development Plan 2004 - 2010 Section 19 (2) of the Local Government (Planning and Development Act) 2000, as amended states that “ A local area plan shall be consistent with the objectives of the development plan”. The Proposed Stillorgan Local Area Plan has been prepared in accordance with this requirement. Furthermore, development within the Local Area Plan boundary shall have regard to the objectives and policies of the County Development Plan 2004-2010, the following objectives and policies are of particular relevance to the future development of Stillorgan. County Development Plan Land Use Objectives The County Development Plan indicates zoning objectives, whereby the majority of the lands central to Stillorgan are zoned “DC” ‘To protect, provide for and/or improve District Centre facilities’, “NC” ‘To protect, provide for and/or improve Neighbourhood Centre facilities’, “A” ‘To protect and/or improve residential amenity’, and “F” ‘To preserve and/or provide for open space and residential amenities’ (Map 2, County Development Plan 2004-2010). County Development Plan Specific Local Objectives The County Development Plan, specific Local Objective No.9, Map 2, states that; A Local Area Plan for Stillorgan shall be prepared within a year of the Development Plan, to guide future development within the lifetime of the plan, concentrating on improvements of the public domain, encompassing a variety of zonings and sites. Good quality residential development shall be encouraged and preferably incorporated into future schemes, such as the overflow carpark, Leisureplex, Blakes and Hamiltons Yard. Chapter 6 Section 6.2.2, identifies specific objectives for the Stillorgan District Centre as follows: Net retail sales space in Stilllorgan District Centre is capped at 25,000sq m in the period 2004 – 2010. The regeneration and redevelopment of Stillorgan District Centre will create an urban context in respect to its scale, design and layout. The creation of civic spaces will be integral to any proposed layout. Moderate to large scale planning applications must include detailed traffic management plans, which should form part of an integrated traffic management plan for Stillorgan and its environs. The scope and requirement of these plans shall be agreed during the preparation of the Local Area Plan. That the residential amenity of householders in the immediate area is protected and, where possible, enhanced.